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iOS Swift Functions and Optionals Optionals What is an Optional?

Erik Trinidad
Erik Trinidad
3,696 Points
Posted by Erik Trinidad
Erik Trinidad
3,696 Points

Why isn't this working? Optionals Challenge Task 2 of 2

Why isn't this working?

search.swift 
func search(#name: String) -> String? {
    let names = ["Doc","Grumpy","Happy","Sleepy","Bashful","Sneezy","Dopey"]
    for n in names {
        if n == name {
            return n
        }
    }
    return nil
}

if let result = search("Doc") {
  println("Found")
}

1 Answer

Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points
Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points

Adding the octothorpe in your function declaration makes it necessary to write the name of the name variable in any calls to the function. See if this works:

func search(#name: String) -> String? {
    let names = ["Doc","Grumpy","Happy","Sleepy","Bashful","Sneezy","Dopey"]
    for n in names {
        if n == name {
            return n
        }
    }
    return nil
}
//Notice how you must write the name of the variable called name in the call to search below
if let result = search(name: "Doc") {
  println("Found: \(result)")
}

Alternatively, you could remove the octothorpe in the definition of the search function, and the rest of your original code would work, like this:

//Notice the lack of a # in the below line
func search(name: String) -> String? {
    let names = ["Doc","Grumpy","Happy","Sleepy","Bashful","Sneezy","Dopey"]
    for n in names {
        if n == name {
            return n
        }
    }
    return nil
}
if let result = search("Doc") {
  println("Found: \(result)")
}